Weightman has a wise head on young shoulders

LAURA WEIGHTMAN may have just reached her 21st birthday but she has a wise old head on her shoulders.

LAURA WEIGHTMAN may have just reached her 21st birthday but she has a wise old head on her shoulders.

Sitting side-by-side with her coach, Steve Cram, at a Press launch to celebrate her inclusion in the GB team for London 2012, the Morpeth Harrier has come under the spotlight more than most as it’s her first stab as a senior at a major championships.

However, she handled the multitude of questions put to her with confidence and calmness as if she had been and done it many times before.

There may be a lot of weight on the former Duchess’ High School pupil’s shoulders but it didn’t show and, while she takes to the track for the 1,500 metres heats on Monday, August 6, that certainly holds no fears.

“I suppose making the team hasn’t really sunk in yet for I’m not suffering from nerves at the moment,” said a smiling Weightman. “I think the nerves will kick in when I get on the start line and see all these top athletes around me.”

Weightman’s amazing and eye-catching performance in the Trials, when she spread-eagled a high-class field after she ran the final lap in 58.5 seconds and had her nearest rival three seconds adrift, brought back memories of when Cram was at his height and there is no doubt that the former world record holder has passed on lots of knowledge to his protegee.

“Laura certainly deserves her place in the team for she has worked extremely hard, especially as she has had to overcome illness and injury over the past couple of years,” said Cram.

“Everyone who is picked for Britain for these Games is selected because they have the potential to get to the final in every event, so that has to be Laura’s target.

“When you consider where Laura is in her career – she has been crowned England Schools’ 1,500m champion three times and also finished sixth in the World Junior Championships – a lot can happen and she’s just beginning to show people what she’s capable of.

“I remember going to the Moscow Games when I was 19 and at that age you are under the radar a little bit. It’s not so easy to escape the attention as it is a home Games and everyone wearing a British vest will get attention, though there is nobody in Kenya or Ethiopia saying ‘bloody hell, Laura Weightman’s running’ which is good.

“Laura can go about doing her own thing, learn from the experience. No matter what happens in London there is a lot more to come from her.”

Both coach and athlete know making the Games is just the start and, after meticulously planning prior to the Trials Weightman ran 4min 04.88secs in Hengelo – that continues with around four weeks to go before the big day.

“People may ask that going to the Olympics is a big step up from junior athletics but you have to remember we talked last year on what her chances were on making the team for the World Championships, that’s how positive Laura is,” added Cram.

“Laura will have one more race before the Olympics in the Diamond League at Crystal Palace in 10 days’ time so, before and after that, it’s a case of getting her as sharp as possible. She is in a good place and both of us are very excited.” Weightman, with her alternate red and blue painted nails, stressed that being on the team sheet is only the first rung of the ladder and that her time from Hengalo and her performance in the Trials shows she can compete whether the race is run slow or fast.

“I’d be terribly disappointed if I went out in the heats,” confessed Weightman.

“Having run a fast time in Hengelo shows I am not there to make up the numbers and while the Trials panned out entirely differently, to run a fast last lap is nice to have in the locker.”

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